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Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

What is Castlerock?

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Castlerock site with Mast Boulevard at right

Castlerock
is a housing development in the city of San Diego by Pardee Homes. It includes up
to 430 housing units (283single-family houses
and 147 detached condominium units) on 203.64 acres located in the East Elliot
Community Plan Area.The project also
includes a 4-acre public park and a multi-use trail for pedestrians and
bicyclists. Approximately 45 percent of the property (94.8 acres) will be
preserved as open space as part of Mission Trails Regional Park. The property,
which is designated for residential use, is north of Mast Boulevard between
West Hills Parkway and Medina Drive along Santee’s northwest boundary. The project has two options; one if the
development stays in the city of San Diego and another if it is annexed by the
city of Santee.

Has the Castlerock development been
approved?

The San
Diego City Council voted in favor of the project on Sept. 16, 2013. The council
agreed to both options (annexation, no annexation). This means the project can
be developed whether it remains in San Diego or is annexed by the city of Santee.

Can the city of Santee impose new
conditions on the development now that it has been approved by the city of San
Diego?

No.The property is not in Santee’s jurisdiction.
The city of San Diego had the final say on the development of the project. The only
question before the Santee City Council is whether it should annex the
property, a question the council is scheduled to consider at its regular
meeting on Oct. 9.

Can the city of Santee refuse to
annex the Castlerock property?

Santee can
refuse to annex the site. However, Santee fire fighters and sheriff’s deputies
would by default be the first responders to any emergencies. Without
annexation, Santee would incur those service costs but receive no property tax
revenue to pay for them.

What would happen if Santee annexes the
Castlerock Property?

If the
property is annexed to Santee, the city would be responsible for providing the
full array of municipal services, including fire protection and law
enforcement, to the new community.

From a government standpoint,it
would be more efficient for the city of Santee to provide emergency services, and for Padre Dam Municipal Water District
(PDMWD) to provide water and sewer services, because the project is not in
close proximity to the city of San Diego’s infrastructure.

What
is the next step if Santee chooses to annex Castlerock?

To initiate annexation proceedings,
the Santee City Council and the Padre Dam Municipal Water District board would
have to file an application with the Local Agency Formation Commission, an
independent agency.